Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Board has readjudicated the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, dizziness, TBI, headaches, right shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, and diverticulitis based on new evidence received since previous decisions. The claims are granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep impairment disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development on the issues of service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. The Board cannot consider evidence submitted after the September 2021 decision without proper procedural steps.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The AOJ will obtain a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not been manifested by worse than Level I in the right ear and Level II in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied prior to March 14, 2017, and dismissed as moot for the period after that date due to his 100% disability rating for IHD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood that his current condition is related to military noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and right little finger sprain have been denied. The Veteran has been granted a 10% rating for his lumbar spondylosis.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities limit his employment, while the back disability has been considered in his SSA benefits. The Board finds a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities but did not refer the TDIU claim for extraschedular consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, a compensable initial disability rating for right ear hearing loss, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination findings regarding the Veteran's hearing loss claims. The claim will be reconsidered with a new VA opinion.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not provide new and relevant information to support readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a groin disability, a right ankle disability, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding his service-connected left foot disability prior to November 1, 2016. A VA examination is needed to assess the impact of these disabilities on his occupational activities and functioning.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle and left shoulder conditions due to a lack of current diagnoses. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is remanded as there was an inadequate pre-decisional medical opinion based on in-service audiograms only.,The Veteran's chronic renal insufficiency claim is remanded as the PACT Act requires additional procedural rights, including review of the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER) and toxic exposure examination.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability within the meaning of VA regulations. The claims for increased evaluations of his left and right knee disabilities are remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the current level of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an in-service threshold shift as evidence to indicate that the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to military noise exposure. The issues are inextricably intertwined, so both must be remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as she does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current disability in either ear for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD with opioid use disorder was granted effective July 20, 2021. The Board found that the earlier submitted intent to file a claim within one year of separation from service should not result in an earlier effective date.